Broken by Freedom
by LuxaLovesLawnmowers
Summary: It's after the war and Sakura, Naruto and Guy want to find one of their precious people trapped by Kabuto's madness. Will they find Kakashi in time?


Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.

I dreamed this and wrote it. I needed a break from the endless monotony of chapter fanfictions. I'm ninety percent sure it sucks, but go ahead and read it anyway! :)

Enjoy!

* * *

The three shinobi ran down the hallway, checking every door they came across. The ominous feeling of the forbidden lair sent shivers up Sakura's spine, making her want to run faster.

She stopped herself from going ahead of Naruto. They were in this together. She glanced at Guy, who had an uncharacteristic serious expression on his face.

The fourth ninja war was over and Kabuto and Madara were dead. Naruto had killed them along with Sasuke. He'd barely survived, but he had and now they were here. Kabuto's lair held many secrets, but that wasn't what they were looking for. They were looking for living shinobi.

If Sakura was honest, she was looking for only one living shinobi: Kakashi. He had been captured over a year ago by Kabuto himself. A year was a long time to be missing, and there wasn't much hope.

But there was hope. A faint slimmer of hope that had caused Naruto, Guy and herself to enter this evil place.

We've reached the dungeons." said Naruto in a low voice. "He'll be here is he's…if he's still…"

"We can check." said Guy.

They peered into each cell, finding nothing but skeletons and empty chambers. Not until they reached the last cell did they find anything.

It was pitch-black and damp in the room and Sakura let an involuntary shiver travel down her spine.

They knew someone was in this room, they could hear the ragged breathing. They approached cautiously, wary of Kabuto's post-mortem traps.

"Tell me." came a raspy voice. "Are you Kabuto's illusions or have I finally gone crazy?"

A man, chained and slumped against the wall came into view. Silver hair fell over his eyes and he was dressed in rags that could have been a shinobi uniform. His hair was longer than Sakura remembered and scars littered his arms and neck.

It was him though. He was ghostly pale and extremely malnourished, but it was him.

"You're not crazy, Kakashi-sensei." said Naruto, kneeling down over the man. "It's me, Naruto. Kabuto's dead. We've come to save you."

Sakura bent down next to him while Guy stood. She gasped. Beneath the strands of hair she could see an empty eye socket where his Sharingan had been. By the looks of it, it had been gouged out.

Sakura pushed Naruto out of the way. "I need to look at him."

It looked like he had not eaten since before Kabuto had been killed, which made sense. Who would have been left to take care of the prisoners?

She ripped his shirt open. Kakashi gazed at her with a mixture of apathy and pain.

Scars crisscrossed his chest and open wounds still bled, miraculously not infected. His ribs were visible through his skin and bruises littered his body.

"How are you still alive?" whispered Sakura.

"Not by my volition." murmured Kakashi. "Do you really exist?"

"Yes." said Naruto, tears starting to prick at his eyes. "Don't you still remember us?"

Kakashi smiled a little, his eyes closing as his exposed mouth turned up. It made him look a little mad.

"Of course. I've been tortured with your faces for over a year. How could I forget you?"

Naruto flinched. "Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei, we've come to save you."

Sakura pressed her hands to his stomach, encompassing it with a green healing glow.

"You are real. Illusions don't help me," whispered Kakashi. He reached out, the chains clinking as he grasped Sakura's arm. "You are real."

Tears seemed to spill over in his ruined eye. Guy let himself cry too. "Kakashi, my rival…"

Guy busied himself by freeing Kakashi of the chains one by one, letting tears slide down his chin.

Kakashi grip seemed to tighten. "Don't leave me here." he said quietly, desperately. "Don't let me die here."

Sakura swallowed the hard lump in her throat. "Why do you think we came here?"

She wished she had let the ANBU come and find him. He was so different, a desperate, lonely, broken man who hadn't seen daylight in over a year. He had been through so much, and Sakura felt guilt wash over her. She wished they had found him before now.

"Can you stand?" she asked. Kakashi shook his head. "I haven't moved much in months." he rasped.

Naruto gripped one arm and Guy held the other as they pulled Kakashi to his feet. He staggered and slumped against Guy's broad shoulders. He'd always been underweight, but now his slight frame looked half-dead compared to Guy's bulk.

Sakura helped carry him as his legs completely gave out.

They emerged into the daylight blinking from the dark tunnels. Kakashi shielded his eye from the sun with his forearm. "It's been a long time."

He collapsed, coughing up blood. "Thank you, Sakura, Naruto, Guy."

"For what, sensei?"

"Letting me see the daylight before…" Kakashi closed his good eye. "Letting me see you again before…"

"No." whispered Sakura. "I healed you, you can't die!"

Naruto, Sakura and Guy watched in horror as Kakashi coughed up more blood. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I gave up a long time ago."

"No!" she wailed. "We freed you!"

He gave her one last smile, his eye crinkling into a curve before he hacked up more blood one last time and whispered, "I've never been free."

* * *

So, what did you think? Is it worth your review?


End file.
